Timeless
by Dark Empress V
Summary: Malcolm Merlyn's adventures after the season 4 finale of "Arrow". What new challenges await our favourite Dark Archer? Mixed Arrow/ DC's Legends of Tomorrow/Flash/Supergirl canon and AU.


**Timeless**

Summary:

Malcolm Merlyn's adventures after the season 4 finale of "Arrow". What new challenges await our favourite Dark Archer? Mixed Arrow/ DC's Legends of Tomorrow/Flash canon and AU.

Author's Note:

This story is sort of an experiment of mine: a combination of canon and AU, vignettes and an underlying, consistent plotline, all focusing on the Dark Archer. I must admit that there is FAR too little of Malcolm in season 5 of "Arrow" and in season 2 of "Legends" for my taste. I'm sure many, if not all of my fellow Merlyn nuts will agree! Too many missing scenes, too many unexplained issues.

So, here I am, embarking upon a quest to remedy that.

Most important: multiple galaxies of thanks and bows to Bloodsong, my awesome friend and beta; this story owes its existence to her invaluable support and skills!

 _Warnings: language, substance abuse, violence_

 **Chapter 1: Reflections in the Dark**

XxXxXxX

 _Star City, old warehouse, June 2016._

"Yes!" Felicity fistpumped as she watched the red dots indicating Dahrk's nukes change course and then disappear as they exploded in space.

"Yeah, you did it, girl!" Curtis high-fived her and the duo hugged spontaneously in celebration.

Malcolm allowed himself a brief sigh of relief. _'There goes your mighty plan, Damien,'_ he thought, and the corner of his mouth curled up in a sarcastic smirk. He threw a glance at Thea, but his daughter was still tense, her expression troubled.

"We have to find Oliver," she said. "The nukes may be gone, but Dahrk is still out there and so are his Ghosts. We can't let my brother face them alone."

Felicity's smile was quickly extingushed. "Definietly not. We should head for City Hall."

"Or whatever place we see people fleeing from in a panic," Malcolm said, already leading the way outside.

The streets were chaos. People ran around screaming, looting, fighting each other and the occassional Ghost, but the number of Dahrk's warriors had clearly diminished. Oliver's speech must have truly inspired the majority of Starling's citizens to stand up to their tormentors. It did not weed out the bad seed, though, Malcolm thought bitterly as he shot one of his arrows through a tattoed biker trying to drag a young woman into an alley.

The crowds got thicker as they approached the city centre, dodging or fighting their way through. Malcolm and Thea positioned themselves so they could best protect Felicity and Curtis, but the two seemed to be holding their own, using some metal pipes they had grabbed from the warehouse. The Dark Archer noticed he would soon run out of arrows, so he started opting for hand to hand combat whenever he could. He'd just dispatched the last one of a group of Ghosts and was looking around for another enemy to battle when a loud cheer in the distance distracted him. A wave of excited whispers and shouts washed over them.

" _We're saved!"_

" _Dahrk's gone, the Green Arrow killed him!"_

" _Yeah, the madman is dead, we're free!"_

Malcolm flicked a glance at Thea and they both started to push their way through to what seemed to be the epicentre of excitement.

Suddenly, Malcolm felt a hand grab his arm. He turned swiftly, his bow ready to smash, but he lowered it when he saw a petite redhead looking up at him, her face beaming.

"It's ok, we're fine, the city's saved, isn't it amazing? The Green Arrow killed Damien Dahrk! I was there, I saw it! A-And you are…" Her gaze flicked towards Thea. "Yeah, I recognize her, saw her on a news feed, fighting alongside the Arrow some time ago." She turned back towards Malcolm. "You're his team! You must be another one of his friends?"

Malcolm dismissed her question with a brief nod, forcing his mind to stomp down on the conflicted emotions it awakened. He swallowed thickly and lowered his voice into a hoarse whisper, choosing not to turn his voicechanger on, lest he scare her or remind her of the murderous archer who had prowled the streets just a few years ago. "Miss, could you tell me exactly what happened?" He put his prosthetic hand on hers in a reassuring gesture, hoping the darkness would prevent her from noticing what it was.

"Well, it was just outside the City Hall. We all went to fight these stupid goons, and the Green Arrow and Dahrk were there. The green guy somehow blocked these weird powers Dahrk had and then kicked his ass. He stabbed him and just zipped away onto a roof, like he does, you know. The Dahrk bastard was dead, lying there on the street! Then the police cars started to arrive. Oh-Em-Gee, I can't believe I met someone who personally knows the Green Arrow!"

"Let's keep it on the down-low for now, ok?" Malcolm asked, squeezing her hand briefly. "Dahrk may be gone, but not all of his 'goons' are. During a night such as this, there will be chaos and danger everywhere. So, make sure you and your friends make it safely to your homes tonight, ok?"

"Sure thing! And I'm certain you and your friends will make this city a safe place in no time! Badass outfit, by the way." She threw him a smile and a wink, then waved at her own posse and moved on to spread the good news around the neighborhood.

Malcolm noticed Felicity looking at him with a confused expression, strangely devoid of its usual hatred. "Well, I guess we better head for the Arrowcave, then." She adjusted her grip on the metal pipe and the group changed direction.

XxXxXxX

 _Arrowcave._

Felicity's hunch proved to be correct. Oliver was back at the Arrowcave, together with Diggle and Lyla.

Malcolm withdrew to stand at the bottom of the stairs as the friends hugged each other and exchanged some quick updates on the situation. He felt uncomfortable and awkward, something he definietly did not enjoy. He was beginning to consider slipping out quietly when he noticed Oliver approaching him.

"Well, it seems you're one friend down, Merlyn," the boy drawled, leading Malcolm into the furthest, darkest corner fo the room.

"You know perfectly well he was never my friend, Oliver," Malcolm countered in a low voice.

"Oh? So you kidnapped my son and committed countless heinous crimes for a stranger?"

"At least this 'stranger' didn't stab me in the back time and time again when I thought I could trust him, didn't make false promises, then renege on them. Unlike you." Malcolm clenched his prosthetic hand into a fist instinctively.

"Ooh, I bet that's still sore." Oliver sighed in mock compassion, noticing the movement. "You expect an apology or something?"

"At this point, I don't know what anyone should expect from you, Oliver. Whether it's me or someone else in this room. You and me, we had a bargain, a bond. And it served us well, up until you chose to follow your own agenda instead."

"I told you I would never forgive you for what you did to Sara, or my sister!"

"You also said I could change things for the better when you prevented me from killing the man who murdered my wife. You gave me hope that I had a second chance with my daughter and then you snatched it away."

" _You_ snatched it away when you refused to give up the Ring to Nyssa in exchange for the Lotus potion!"

"Oh, _the potion_!" Malcolm spat, then laughed bitterly. "You really think its effects will last forever, fix everything? You think Thea's bloodlust is not going to return, sooner or later, with a vengeance? Oliver, you are delusional!"

"So, you had the perfect solution and you didn't reveal it to me?" the boy mocked.

"I was working on it! You never gave me a chance, you were too self-absorbed, allowing yourself to be blinded by your ever-so-magnified ego, refusing to focus on the big picture. You weren't willing to listen to anything I had to say. You still aren't." Malcolm sighed in resignation.

"Why should I? You seemed perfecty fine with Thea dying from the wounds Ra's inflicted upon her _because of you,_ or with turning her into a killing machine to keep herself alive while you were 'working on it'!"

"You may not see it yet, but the use of the Lotus potion yielded the same result. A delay. What I want for Thea is not just to 'survive', to suffer through the pain. I want her to thrive. And she can't do that, not with the methods you are implementing."

"So, your methods are better?"

"They were, up until you and your former 'fiance' destroyed the League because of her 'daddy issues'. The full impact of your actions will make itself known eventually, Oliver. Not only for Thea, but for the entire world."

"Oh, spare me your predictions of doom, Malcolm. Is that why you came back here? To infect everyone with your darkness?"

"No. The only reason I came here is to make sure Thea got to safety through all the madness that is still going on outside. Don't worry, I won't disturb whatever self-congratulatory celebrations you have planned for tonight. It's how things work around here, isn't it?" Malcolm started walking towards the stairs. "I'll let you have your moment of triumph. Reality will kick in soon enough." Without waiting for Oliver's response, he made his way to the exit and slammed the door shut behind him.

XxXxXxX

Malcolm slipped through the city like a shadow, quiet and lethal; observing, yet not engaging in the chaos that still reigned in its streets following Damien Dahrk's defeat. Sounds of looting and combat intertwined with blasting music, drunken cheers and the occassional echo of a police siren. The latter became non-existent as Malcolm approached his current 'headquarters', located in the Glades of all places.

It was an out-of-business motel that had closed down after the earthquake. It used to be a League of Assassins safehouse, now abandoned. Malcolm moved there after his duel with Oliver. Only the precious few who had remained loyal to him after the League's disbandment knew where to find him, and currently, they were under strict orders to stay away. His downfall as Resh did not impact Malcolm financially, but the decrepit location of the motel somehow suited his mood. Besides, the building neighbored the part of the Glades that had been destroyed in the Undertaking. Another double-edged bonus he had learned to appreciate.

Malcolm entered his dingy apartment, showered and changed quickly into a pair of slacks and a shirt, then heated up some corned beef in the microwave. His movements were like those of an automaton: precise, detached, allowing him to think on other subjects. He didn't even taste the food. He dumped the plate into the sink and went up to the window. The familiar landscape of ruined buildings and distant, flickering lights of the city failed to put him at ease as it usually did. His conversation with Oliver kept replaying in his mind, like an unwelcome melody. Not only the most recent one, no. All of them at the same time, in bits and pieces, attacking his mind and leaving him defensless against this onslaught.

' _I will never forgive you. For what you did to Sara. My sister.'_

' _Does that mean we are enemies once more?'_

' _That depends on what you do with your end of the bargain.'_

' _You are forgetting the role you played in putting this ring on my finger.'_

' _So, tonight I correct that mistake.'_

Pain, physical and mental mixed together in an undescribeable concoction of agony left Malcolm gasping for breath. His prosthetic hand sent electrocution-like waves throughout his body, as if Oliver had cut it off mere seconds ago.

"No!" Malcolm stumbled towards the couch and collapsed on it. Everything seemed unreal, threatening. The very walls of the room were closing in on him. Was he experiencing the symptoms of withdrawal from the medication Dahrk's doctor had prescribed him after installing the prosthesis, or was it just all the stress of his situation taking its toll? He did not have time to think. He dialed the number of his own doctor, one that was always available for emergencies. No good if your hand's been cut off, but able to provide plenty of various prescription-level drugs. The man answered immediately after the first ring.

"Dr Chang? Get to my place as soon as you possibly can, bring all the painkillers you have at your disposal." Malcolm's tone brooked no objection.

"On my way, Mr Merlyn; should be there in 30 minutes at most."

"Make it ten." Malcolm disconnected, then reached for the last two pills of Vicodin left at his bedside table. All they did was alleviate the shaking as he curled up on the couch, counting the minutes until he heard Dr Chang entering the apartment.

"I'm here, I'm here, calm down," the tiny Chinese man said reassuringly as he waddled in, his forehead wrinkling at the state he saw Malcolm was in. He grabbed a clothing hanger to serve as a makeshift support for the drip, then attached it to the lamp. "This may sting for a second," he said perfunctorily as he shoved the needle into Malcolm's vein.

"Wow, ever so tender," the Dark Archer exclaimed and allowed himself to relax as the medication from the drip slowly started to work. It made him giddy and he chuckled when the doctor examined his prosthesis.

"Like what you see?"

"I don't think anyone in my profession would 'like' seeing that their patient's hand was cut off and replaced with an artificial one."

"All in a day's work."

"Not funny, Malcolm."

"Ooh, are we getting personal?" Merlyn laughed at the doctor calling him by his first name.

"I see the medication is kicking in," Chang commented.

"Yeah, so it's about time you leave me with the pills you brought and let me relax."

"I won't allow you to overdo it, so I'll return in an hour."

"Good evening to you, Doctor Chang." Malcolm waved dismissively.

"Good evening, Mr Merlyn."

XxXxXxX

An hour passed. The sound of the door opening and closing roused Malcolm from his drug-induced half-sleep.

"Doctor Chang?"

"Mr Merlyn."

"Nice to see you letting yoursef back into my apartment," Malcolm mumbled groggily.

"Nice to see you allowing me to do this."

"You're welcome."

Chang wrapped the blood pressure cuff around Malcolm's arm. "I am only just saving your life."

"Thank you very much."

"Malcolm, you need to stop this. I genuinely care for you."

"You'd be the only one, Doc."

"Don't sell yourself short." He removed the cuff after glancing at the meter's screen. Malcolm's blood pressure was a little too low for his liking, but still within acceptable norm.

"Don't mind if i do."

"Well, _I_ _would mind_."

"Oh, shut up!"

"Forgive me if I don't, Merlyn. You SHUT UP!"

"Whoa, that is a hell of a way to speak to your patient and employer!"

"Not if he has a hell of a death wish that I am trying to prevent!"

Malcolm just goggled for a while, then recovered.

"So explain to me, what do I have to live for?! My son is dead, my daughter wants nothing to do with me, the boy I thought of as a son hates me. Hell, EVERYONE hates me! I lost everything I had to the daughter of a man I despised! I AM the very DEFINITION of pathetic!"

"And you accept it?!"

"What other choice do I have?!"

"Lets make one thing clear, Mr Merlyn. You are the very opposite of pathetic. Yes, you have received all doses of shit from life and I don't blame you for reacting the way you are. However, I am absolutely sure that you will eventually make it through as a victor. The man I know and admire."

"Don't hold your breath, Doc."

Chang just shook his head and packed up his equipment. "Be well, Malcolm. Contrary to everyone's opinion, including your own, I do believe you deserve and will one day be happy." He let the door shut closed behind him.

Those words did nothing to comfort Malcolm. He stood up from the bed and went up to the liquor cabinet.

"Happy, you say, Doctor Chang. Why not?" Malcolm chuckled as he took out a bottle of whiskey, a bottle of brandy, a bottle of vodka, a bottle of juice and mixed himself up a cocktail even Tommy would have been proud of. Or weirded out by?

"Cheers," he said as he downed his drink in one gulp.

Several more followed. Malcolm enjoyed the rush it gave him. Suddenly the dingy apartment he now lived in did not seem so dingy. Oliver's, Thea's, John's and Felicity's hateful words he now knew by heart did not sting so much anymore, neither did the deaths of Rebecca and Tommy. Paradoxically, the thought that he was hurting his system with such amounts of alcohol brought him a twisted sort of comfort.

"Justice is being done," he whispered, looking at the clock and downing yet another drink.

 _To be continued_

XxXxXxX

Endnotes:

This chapter is more of a prelude to the entire story, setting up the basics before we go full throttle. The following ones will be much longer, so beware! ;P Also, please, remember to drop a line about what you think! I live for reviews!


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